Peptris is using AI to find drug candidates to shorten the time it takes for laboratory validation
The Bengaluru-based company builds models that generate molecules and predict how they will behave, and has licensed its lead candidate to a US developer.
Peptris, a Bengaluru-based AI-driven startup founded in 2019, is leveraging artificial intelligence to revolutionize the drug discovery process. The company's founders, Narayanan Venkatasubramanian, Shridhar Narayanan, Anand Budni and Amit Mahajan, are split between computer science and pharmacology expertise. Narayanan, their chief scientific advisor, has a background in pharmacology with a focus on clinical drug candidates.
Peptris' platform offers two primary functions: generating novel molecular structures and predicting properties that determine a molecule's potential as a drug. This approach aims to narrow the vast chemical space to a select few promising candidates, thereby reducing the time and expense associated with laboratory validation. In addition, the company specializes in repurposing existing compounds and resurrecting previously failed ones, which can shorten the drug development timeline by leveraging pre-existing safety data.
Peptris operates on a B2B basis, collaborating with pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and some consumer goods companies. Their therapeutic focus areas include rare diseases, inflammation, oncology, and women's health, with the latter category historically receiving limited funding in research. The startup's success is evident in its lead asset, PEPR-124, a repurposed candidate licensed exclusively to Revio Therapeutics for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic muscle-wasting disorder.
The company describes PEPR-124 as Phase 2-ready and mutation-agnostic, meaning it would not rely on a specific genetic fault for patient treatment.
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